Interchangeable holster with removable pockets

ABSTRACT

A fashionable carryall includes an adjustable waist band and a tether depending therefrom to a holster having both internal compartments and removable outer pockets, and which in turn is secured to the user&#39;s thigh using one or more leg straps. The holster has a plurality of removable pockets for items such as mp3 players, keys, cell phones, and water bottles, which can be replaced with different shaped pockets as future technology dictates. The straps allow the holster position to be adjusted vertically on the wearer&#39;s thigh, and it can also be converted to a shoulder strap as well.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/888,361, filed Feb. 6, 2007 to the present inventor Phillip Hollins, and the complete disclosure of said provisional patent application is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Purses and handbags allow women to carry a variety of personal items in a neat and orderly manner, such as keys, wallets, and the like. However, purses and handbags must be carried all day and have traditionally been utilized by women but not men. They can also be lost or misplaced because there is no physical attachment to the wearer in many cases. There are few options for men to keep a carryall that is both stylish and utilitarian. Fanny packs are one option, although they are not generally considered stylish and most lack any meaningful organization. Carryalls are another option, but they tend to be over the shoulder bags with a multiplicity of pouches and compartment. However, these compartments and pouches lack the type of custom fitting pockets that present a neat arrangement. Those that do offer a specific pouch for a cell phone or mp3 player, suffer from the drawback that as the size of these items change the carryall becomes outdated and needs to be replaced. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a stylish carryall that it unisex and can be worn in an inconspicuous easily accessible manner, and can be versatile enough to accommodate changes to the size of various items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a custom holster that is secured to a wearer's thigh by a waist strap and at least one leg strap. The holster is sized to carry a number of personal effects and also has removable pockets that can hold cell phones, mp3 players, water bottles, keys, and the like. The removable aspect of the pockets allow them to be replaced as the size of items change. The holster can be worn on either leg, and is adjustable to position the holster to the wearer's preference. A custom made water bottle pocket is also attached to the holster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1 a is an enlarged view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the holster embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an attachment part for coupling a pocket to a holster;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a custom water bottle flask; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of a pocket adapted to hold the custom water bottle flask.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention can be used to carry a number of personal effects in a comfortable, reliable manner that eliminates the need for purses and handbags and provides men with a device that holds person items in a stylish manner. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1 a, a user 90 wears the invention by utilizing a waist belt 100 having a buckle 150 that adjustably secures the device to the user. An adjustable vertical leg strap 180 tethers the holster, which is secured to the outer thigh by a first leg strap 10 and associated buckle 150, and lower leg strap 12 and associated buckle 150. The straps 10, 12 wrap around the user's thigh to conveniently and securely locate the holster. The waist belt 100 can also be converted to an adjustable shoulder strap and worn around the user's shoulder.

The holster includes a first pocket 40 for preferably carrying a user's identification and money and has a zipper connection for enclosing the pocket. A second pocket 60 can be used for miscellaneous items such as lip balm, eye drops, a PDA, mini-flashlight, and the like. Also shown are a number of removable pockets intended to hold specific items such as an MP3 player pocket 70 and a cell phone pocket 50. Each of the removable pockets 50,70 can be replaced with different pockets as the size of the specific items change. For example, cell phones continue to decrease in size and technology advances as do MP3 players. The present invention anticipates these changes and provides the removable pockets so that the individual pockets can be replaced rather than replacing the whole article. The holster also can include a loop or slot for securing a pair of sunglasses 170 and a hole for extending a set of ear buds 185, thereby providing a convenient mode by which many personal effects can be carried effortlessly and fashionably in a secure manner.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred removable pocket that has an upper flap and tab that folds over a compartment to create a storage space. The tab can mate with a patch in a hook and loop attachment to releasably secure the pocket closure. The rear of the pocket shown in FIG. 3 illustrates various attachment mechanisms by which the pocket can be secured to the holster, including snaps 110, hook and loop fastener material 120, or a simple material loop 130 that couples to a clip or tie. The holster preferably includes a patch such as that shown in FIG. 4 for each removable pocket location. The patch has mating snaps 111, hook and loop fastener material 121, and a strip 131 that mates with the loops 130 of the removable pocket to secure the pocket to the pouch. The pouch can also include a custom plastic water flask 140 as shown in FIG. 5, which is carried by a designated removable pocket 160 sized to receive the flask therein as shown in FIG. 6.

The belts and holster of the present invention may be made of many different materials as is known in the apparel trade, such as neoprene, nylon, leather, heavy cloths and fabrics, and the like. The location of the holster makes it more practical than other modes of carrying personal effects, such as purses and fanny packs, and is conducive to be worn at health clubs, sporting events, shopping malls, university campuses, working around the house, exercising, bike riding, and casual trips to town. The invention provides a high degree of organization while permitting great flexibility due to the removable nature of the pockets. In particular, the opportunity to replace pockets holding, for example, a cell phone, with a new pocket that better fits a future new style of phone, maintains the organization of the invention even in unforeseen changes to future technology.

Because the present invention is directed to both utility and fashion, it can be expected to take various forms as the fabrics, colors, and styles change. The invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiments and materials set forth herein, but rather the descriptions should be interpreted merely as teaching the concepts of the invention. One skilled in the art will readily conceive of variations to those embodiments disclosed herein, and the scope of the present invention is intended to incorporate all such variations and modification as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 

1. A carryall for toting a user's personal effects comprising: an adjustable waist belt to be secured to a user's waist; tether strap having first and second ends, said first end fastened to said adjustable waist belt at a hip area, said tether strap having an adjustable length; a holster secured to the second end of said tether strap, said holster having a first internal storage compartment and a second internal compartment, said holster further comprising first and second adjustable leg straps sized to encircle a user's thigh to maintain the holster against the user's upper leg; and a plurality of removable pockets mountable on said holster.
 2. The carryall of claim 1 where the adjustable waist belt can also serve as a shoulder strap.
 3. The carryall of claim 1 further comprising a holder on the holster for securing a pair of sunglasses thereon.
 4. The carryall of claim 1 further comprising a removable pocket attached to said holster for holding a plastic flask.
 5. The carryall of claim 1 wherein said removable pockets including a cell phone pocket sized to hold a cell phone, an MP3 pocket sized to hold an MP3 player, and a keys pocket sized to hold a set of keys.
 6. The carryall of claim 1 further comprising a hole for receiving wires of ear buds therethrough. 